This article is looking at a few ways in which you can make the most out of your first one-on-one meeting in your medical malpractice case. Such cases are usually difficult and circumstances are very different from one situation to another, so the first tip is: make sure you have documented everything that has happened.
Don’t be afraid to share all the details with your accidents lawyer or specialized attorney. Be prepared to do a lot of talking. Any legal case must be based on the facts, and medical malpractice cases are no exception. You need to be prepared beforehand so that you can give the lawyer all of the facts that will help them decide if your case can be won in court. Here are a few things you could do:
Put down a list of all the health care providers you have sought treatment at for your condition.
You must have seen a lot of health care providers, from doctors to hospitals to different kinds of therapists to diagnostic test centers. A medical malpractice lawyer will ultimately need to request records from every single health care provider that you saw for the condition. The best way to help the lawyer with this task is to make a list of who you have seen.
Make a summary of your relevant medical treatment and medical history
You should be able to summarize the main points of your treatment in a couple of pages. You would want to focus on when your condition first arose, who you saw for the condition, what happened, what you think that the doctor in question did wrong, and who you saw to get cured. Preparing a short crib sheet will help you keep your treatment straight when answering the lawyer’s questions about what happened.
All documents and correspondence pertaining to the case should be brought at the meeting
If you are wondering what the relevant documents are in malpractice cases, keep in mind the following list:
– any medical records and letters from doctors
– medical bills
– photos of your condition
– the contact details of your health insurer-
– proof of material losses and lost earnings
Your lawyer can certainly get all of this information in his/her investigation, but, if you have these documents, you keep your lawyer from having to reinvent the wheel and get documents and information that you already have.
Put down a list of questions for your attorney, you will find this very helpful
A few of the things that you would like to know regarding your malpractice case involve:
how many medical malpractice cases the lawyer has had, does the lawyer specialize in medical malpractice, how long has the accidents attorney has been handling medical malpractice cases, what are the lawyer’s largest medical malpractice verdicts, how long will it take before the lawyer will be prepared to make a settlement demand, what are the chances of settling the case.
You should have an idea of what kind of lawyer you are looking for, when you go talking to a specialized attorney about your medical malpractice case.